The End of a Decade...And 100 Lessons Learned!

So, the other day my friend sent me an email saying that she and a co-worker of hers were talking about the highlights of 1999. I thought about it, and since I was bored, came up with a rather long list of my personal highlights of 1999. It was the beginning of an era with a lot of lessons learned this past decade...all starting in that awesome year of 1999.

(This is edited way down because there are some things that parents do NOT need to know about college!)

(Also, most are meant to be funny and not really serious...with a couple of moments of seriousness thrown in for good measure.)

(But all are true accounts.)

(I started off in somewhat of a chronological order but things became very muddled after about August of 1999. Then some stories in my head led to other stories in my head and they just got all jumbled.)

(Oh yeah...then it also turned into a 1999 through 2000 list because I couldn't remember which stories belonged in which year.)

(I'm ready now...enjoy!)

1.) Broke up with a psycho.
2.) Dated an ex's best friend right after it was discovered that said ex was a pyscho.
3.) Learned that's not a bright idea.
4.) Graduated from high school.
5.) My parents moved into their new house that took FOREVER to build!
6.) Went "clubbing" for the first time.
7.) Started college.
8.) Lived on my "own" for the first time.
9.) Saw the true colors of certain family members...and they weren't pretty.
10.) Learned that a lot of people (especially small town girls) can be pretty crappy people.
11.) Learned what my alcohol tolerance really was (laughable!).
12.) Learned how to function and go to class hungover (this is a skill that became very useful later in life when I started my first real job and experienced 8 hour happy hours...multiple times per week).
13.) Learned how to do a proper keg stand.
14.) Learned that I get brain freezes WAY too easily!
15.) Learned that if I drank enough and often enough, that tolerance really can be built up!
16.) Discovered who my true friends were.
17.) Started dating on an adult level...which wasn't that successful.
18.) Realized that people can be very two-faced.
19.) Back to clubbing...I LOVED to go clubbing!
20.) I saw hard core drugs for the first time and not just when the police came up to school and had a display of them so we knew what to look out for.
21.) Learned that those displays that the police show you are WAY outdated!
22.) Frats...ugh.
23.) First relationships with "older" men (as in, they were 5 whole years older than me!).
24.) Found out that I'm not very good at juggling 5 relationships at the same time. Probably why my "adult level" of dating wasn't very successful.
25.) Learned that no matter what age, guys want you to only date them while they are free to date whomever because technically you guys aren't "exclusive." Then promptly thought, "Screw that!"
26.) Had my first openly gay friend.
27.) Learned self-defense.
28.) Learned that a lot of people in high school didn't actually think I was a dork in high school...like I thought they did.
29.) Gave a guy a bloody nose...on accident.
30.) Gave a guy a bloody nose...on purpose.
31.) Discovered that I REALLY liked living by myself!
32.) Drank a lot of Crystal Palace vodka.
33.) Realized that it was basically on the same level as drinking rubbing alcohol.
34.) Went camping for the first time without my parents.
35.) Realized that I don't like camping without my daddy doing everything for me (they had the audacity to put me to work!).
36.) Went snipe hunting for the first time.
37.) Eventually learned what a snipe really was.
38.) First time I became friends with a married couple (which was totally weird to me).
39.) Learned how to play pool.
40.) Learned how to use a coin-operated washing machine.
41.) Learned that if you leave your clothes unattended in above machine, they will magically disappear!
42.) Realized that college-level classes were not as hard as high school teachers made them out to be.
43.) Realized that nothing could really prepare you for life after high school.
44.) Developed the awesome skill of taking notes while asleep.
45.) Realized that you can't really read your notes when you take them while asleep.
46.) Discovered that it really didn't matter because apparently As came easily to me.
47.) Although, I did make my first bad grade due to lack of preparation and/or not caring.
48.) Learned that if you make friends and/or date a bartender at a not-so-busy bar, you can drink underage!
49.) Learned that if you put lotion on your hands right before going to a bar, the permanent marker Xs wash right off.
50.) Discovered that the door guys were on to me. Dang.
51.) Had my lotion-y hand wiped off on many pant legs.
52.) Sang "Party Like It's 1999!" all the time! It was stuck/drilled into my head for an entire year.
53.) Realized that if I had 2 drinks in me, I was an awesome dancer.
54.) Learned that if I had 3 drinks in me, I was no longer an awesome dancer, but I still thought I was.
55.) Realized that dancing for 5 hours straight for 3 nights a week really did help fight off that pesky "Freshman 15."
56.) Memorized all the words to a fight song.
57.) Realized that I liked the "alternate" lyrics better.
58.) The first time I was a true fan of football and not a forced fan.
59.) Tried rollerblading...unsuccessfully.
60.) Should have learned to never, ever, ever chop all my hair off...but I didn't.
61.) Highlighted my hair for the first time.
62.) Didn't learn that it should have been the last time.
63.) Had my eyebrows trimmed for the first time, even though I said NO to it.
64.) Learned to really put my foot down if anyone ever tries to trim my eyebrows again!
65.) Had my first stalker. Yes, there was more than one.
66.) Pooped in a public bathroom for the first time (yeah, I went there!).
67.) Discovered that I have a real fear of pooping in a public bathroom.
68.) Learned that if I have a fear about pooping, I won't go for 3 solid weeks.
69.) Learned that if I don't poop for 3 weeks, I will end up in a lot of pain and very, very sick.
70.) Learned that you can see clogged intestines on an x-ray! Also? The doctor will laugh at you.
71.) Discovered that I could actually miss being at home so much despite how much my parents annoyed me.
72.) Learned that as long as I was at home, I would still have a curfew.
73.) Got my first speeding ticket (this was actually still in high school, but it was 1999).
74.) Got my second speeding ticket.
75.) Became overdrawn on my checking account for the first time.
76.) Learned that my dad doesn't know how to deposit a check into the proper checking account no matter how explicit the instructions are!
77.) First time I ever ate in public by myself.
78.) Dorm food. Enough said.
79.) Learned how to cook just about anything in a microwave.
80.) Discovered that I have a true love for Taco Bueno and if I live in a city without it, I will binge for days on it every time I encounter the restaurant!
81.) See above about Jack in the Box...although it isn't so much as true love as infatuation.
82.) Learned how to drive in "wintery mix"...which means snow covered ice.
83.) Learned that college-level classes are never canceled no matter how treacherous it is to get there.
84.) Saw my first bearded lady.
85.) Discovered that I will pluck every single last bit of peach fuzz after seeing a bearded lady!
86.) Saw torrential downpours like nothing I have ever seen before.
87.) Saw flooding like I have never seen before.
88.) Learned what civil engineering was and that Lubbock really, really, really needed a drainage expert.
89.) First dust storm.
90.) Learned that your clothes will stain horribly in dust storms.
91.) Learned that I can survive on a diet of junk food no matter what my mom says!
92.) Learned that if I'm not forced to work out, I generally won't do it.
93.) Discovered that I didn't want history to be my minor.
94.) Discovered that I didn't want philosophy to be my minor.
95.) Discovered that I didn't want Spanish to be my minor, either.
96.) Discovered that if you can't settle on a minor, English is a good alternative that will be assigned to you regardless of if you want it or not.
97.) Discovered that English was a great minor because it only required 2 additional classses outside of the required English classes for my major!
98.) Learned that ANY business in a college town will take a check.
99.) This includes McDonald's.
100.) Learned how to sit back, relax, and take life one day at a time.

Fitting...

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly and the pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous, "Yes!"

The professor then produced two glasses of wine from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

When the laughter subsided the professor said, "Now, I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things; your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions. Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full."

"The pebbles are the other things that matter... like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else - the small stuff."

"If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical check-ups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. Do one more run down the ski slope. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first - the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the wine represented. The professor smiled and replied, "It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple glasses of wine with a friend."

Christmas

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?
A jewelry cleaner
Hardcase luggage
Dog bed for Babs
New sports bras
Lots of books on my wish list from Amazon

2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received?
The multi-media art project my mom made me.

3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?
Ummm...I've made quite a bit! A good painting?

4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?
My own phone line.

5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year?
I'm going to use niece, nephews, friend's kids: expensive stuff! Kids these days...

6. What is your favorite holiday foods?
Beef Wellington or lamb, sweeet potato souffle, green bean casserole, bread and lots of it, pumpkin cheesecake

7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?
Ornaments

8. What is your favorite holiday movie?
A Christmas Story

9. Favorite holiday song?
Greensleeves

10. Favorite holiday pastime?
Drinking mimosas first thing in the morning...it's an Irish thing...

Day 5

So, to quote Jonathan, I cannot stick to a diet to save my life! I have now just decided to bump up my exercise routine and just try to make healthier choices. We had Jack In The Box last night and I only had a small burger...and 2 tacos. Oops. Then, this morning, I had one biscuit with gravy and a lot of fruit. To my defense on the biscuit and gravy, the gravy was REALLY horrible! It was basically just a béchamel sauce with some pepper in it. Not good or real gravy at all. I'm at a conference this morning at the Anatole Hotel, so also to my defense, I did not make the gravy.

I'm also going to try to cook a lot more at home. I think if I can cut out the junk food, then I'll be good. I could probably also lose some weight just doing that alone! I am such a fast food junkie that it's ridiculous. Jonathan and I both have got to get into better shape...me for our wedding next year (oh yeah, have I mentioned that on here?) and him for his clients. He is officially a full-time personal trainer now, so he has to look the part.

Well, my computer is about to die so I guess I should wrap this up and go find a plug somewhere...

Toodles!

Day 4

OK, so yesterday didn't go so well. I was all pumped to go run after work, but when I actually left work, I was just starving, craving Chick-fil-A and exhausted. So, what do you think I did? Got Chick-fil-A. But, to my defense, I did get the grilled chicken sandwich and took most of the bread off. But those fries...demolished! I felt so bloated and guilty afterward so I know something is working. Well, because of the bloating, I mean. I used to be able to eat that same meal and just be mildly satisfied. Maybe that means my stomach is shrinking!

Anyway, on to Day 4 stats...
Weight: 130.0 (not too much damage from the slip)
Food: Grapefruit, 1 slice of toast, baked chicken breast, zucchini and squash, 1 banana, 1 Luna bar...tonight's dinner will be barbequed chicken with veggies.
Workout: Running class
Feeling: Guilty but ok.

Runner's Commandments

I thought this was cute. I have been struggling lately with staying focused on the whole running thing. Not sure what it is...exhaustion? Actually, this new group that I am in runs soooo much faster than the last group! There's 2, sometimes 3, of us at the back out of 17. I don't think that helps my head any. I need to get back out and do my runs on Wednesday and Sunday like I used to do all the time. Running by myself, although harder to motivate myself to stay on track, really helps me clear out all the pre-conceived notions that I build up. I think I'll go for a run tonight.

The 53 Runner's Commandments

by Joe Kelly

1. Don't be a whiner. Nobody likes a whiner, not even other whiners.
2. Walking out the door is often the toughest part of a run.
3. Don't make running your life. Make it part of your life.
4. During group training runs, don't let anyone run alone.
5. Keep promises, especially ones made to yourself.
6. When doing group runs, start on time no matter who's missing.
7. The faster you are the less you should talk about your times.
8. Keep a quarter in your pocket. One day you'll need to call for a ride.
9. Don't compare yourself to other runners.
10. All runners are equal, some are just faster than others.
11. Keep in mind that the later in the day it gets, the more likely it is that you won't run.
12. For a change of pace, get driven out and then run back.
13. If it was easy, everybody would be a runner.
14. When standing in starting lines, remind yourself how fortunate you are to be there.
15. Getting out of shape is much easier than getting into shape.
16. A bad day of running still beats a good day at work.
17. Talk like a runner. "Singlets" are worn on warm days. "Tank tops" are worn to the beach.
18. Don't talk about your running injuries. People don't want to hear about your sore knee or black toe.
19. Don't always run alone.
20. Don't always run with people.
21. Approach running as if the quality of your life depended on it.
22. No matter how slow you run it is still faster than someone sitting on a couch.
23. Keep in mind that the harder you run during training, the luckier you'll get during racing.
24. Races aren't just for those who can run fast.
25. There are no shortcuts to running excellence.
26. The best runs sometimes come on days when you didn't feel like running.
27. Be modest after a race, especially if you have reason to brag.
28. If you say, "Let's run this race together," then you must stay with that person no matter how slow.
29. Think twice before agreeing to run with someone during a race.
30. There is nothing boring about running. There are, however, boring people who run.
31. Look at hills as opportunities to pass people.
32. Distance running is like cod liver oil. At first it makes you feel awful, then it makes you feel better.
33. Never throw away the instructions to your running watch.
34. Don't try to outrun dogs.
35. Don't trust runners who show up at races claiming to be tired, out of shape, or not feeling well.
36. Don't wait for perfect weather. If you do, you won't run very often.
37. When tempted to stop being a runner, make a list of the reasons you started.
38. Never run alongside very old or very young racers. They get all of the applause.
39. Without goals, training has no purpose.
40. During training runs, let the slowest runner in the group set the pace.
41. The first year in a new age group offers the best opportunity for trophies.
42. Go for broke, but be prepared to be broken.
43. Spend more time running on the roads than sitting on the couch.
44. Make progress in your training, but progress at your own rate.
45. "Winning" means different things to different people.
46. Unless you make your living as a runner, don't take running too seriously.
47. Runners who never fail are runners who never try anything great.
48. Never tell a runner that he or she doesn't look good in tights.
49. Never confuse the Ben-Gay tube with the toothpaste tube.
50. Never apologize for doing the best you can.
51. Preventing running injuries is easier than curing them.
52. Running is simple. Don't make it complicated.
53. Running is always enjoyable. Sometimes, though, the joy doesn't come until the end of the run.

Day 2

OK, I have an update for Day 1. I don't like cold cuts so I didn't eat very much for lunch. I wasn't prepared at work for not eating enough, so on my drive home, my blood sugar crashed and burned and I nearly crashed my car, too. So, I had to pull into Chick-fil-A and get a 4-piece chicken nuggets. That at least got me home and then for my dinner, I was allowed 1 piece of toast...so I scarfed that down right away. That took care of the dizziness. After dinner, I was still pretty shaky, so I had a tablespoon of peanut butter with a couple of chocolate chips. All in all, I'd say it was still a pretty good day...even with the chicken nuggets and peanut butter.

Day 2 stats...
Weight: 130.0
Food: 1 slice of toast, grapefruit, 1.5 cups fruit salad, 1 cup cottage cheese, 1 apple, carrots (blech) and celery (double blech!), 1 Luna bar...tonight, dinner will be hamburgers (no bun), salad, cucumbers and brussel sprouts.
Workout: Running class...looks like hills are on our agenda tonight!
Feeling: Pretty dang good!

My cheats on today's meals are the cottage cheese and Luna bar (I have to have something before running). Technically, I should eat about 1,500 calories on my running days to still be the negative 500 calories I need to be at to lose weight. I think I am still way under that! And, since I'll be running, I might even have a bun with that burger. Big cheater! :)

The Usual.

Yeah, yeah. I haven't updated in almost 2 months. I'm running. I'm starting a new diet today. All the usual stuff I talk about, right? Well, I guess you can just call me repetitive then! I did end up kicking the vegetarian thing to the curb. I really missed chicken sandwiches! :) But, as usual, I decided to start a diet right before Thanksgiving. Today is Day 1 and it's so much harder than I remember it being! I did this same diet about 5 years ago and lost 25 pounds on it. Luckily, I don't have quite that much to lose...and I don't want to get *that* skinny again. I got down to 112 but those last few pounds came off the bad way. By just not eating that much. This time I am aiming to lose 10-15 pounds. Of course, if I lose 15 pounds, that puts me back at 115 and then I'm just about as skinny as I was before! That's why I threw the 10 pound goal in there. When Jonathan and I first started dating, I was 118 and pretty happy at that weight. I still felt comfortable and I was actually eating, so I was less grumpy...I'm sure. But, I still maintained some self-control when it came to food. Why order a regular combo meal when a kid's meal fills me up just fine? Yeah, yeah, it's still fast food either way, but at least I'm not scarfing down enough food to feed both myself and Jonathan!

Anyway...Day 1 stats...
Starting weight: 130.2
Food: Grapefruit, 1 slice of toast, turkey cold cuts, tomatoes, lots of celery and carrots, 2 handfuls of cereal and 1/2 Clif Bar (my cheats for the day)...dinner will be fish, salad, 1 slice of toast, and fruit.
Workout: Rest day, technically...but I didn't run on Sunday either...
Feeling: Hungry.

A day to remember...

Words always fail me on this day. I personally do not know anyone that lost a husband, wife, child, daughter, son, aunt, uncle, cousin, etc. in the attacks 7 years ago. But, this day affects me. Always has, always will.

I was 20 years old. It was my first day of biology lab. I woke up, turned on the radio and hopped in the shower. The DJs were talking about this situation and I couldn't figure out what they were talking about since I had joined in the middle of it. I almost thought it was a joke at first. But the more they talked, and by the tones of their voices, I knew it wasn't. I got out of the shower, grabbed a towel and ran to turn on the tv. Words failed me at that point. I called my dad, crying, asking what was going on. He said he didn't know but he knew it would definitely be in the history books of his grandchildren.

Then the second plane hit. It seemed like it was slow motion as the plane came in from the side of the screen. All I could say was, "There's another plane! It's going to hit! There's another plane!" And it did. And my dad and I were shocked into silence.

I fought with myself over whether or not I should go to class. The responsible side of me won and I rushed to class. I was distracted by the images in my head. I couldn't pay attention. Some of the students didn't even know what was going on! Did they not own a tv or radio? Our lab assistant said we would be there half an hour, tops. We were there the full 2 1/2 hours. After about 30 minutes, all the students became restless. There were whispers about how disrespectful they thought she was being. I just wanted to get a tv.

On the first anniversary of the attacks, I got on a plane. Two days later was my grandparents 50 wedding anniversary and my aunts and mom were planning a big surprise party for them. I wanted to come home to help. I remember people asking me if I was scared to get on a plane that day. I joked, "No. Who would want to hijack a plane from Lubbock to Dallas??" But, when I got to the airport, I was terrified. This next part might sound a bit racist/judgemental/stereotypical/whatever you want to call it, but it's the truth. There was a Muslim man dressed in full Muslim gear boarding my very same plane. I knew he had gone through the 2 hours of security I had gone through, but I was still scared. I heard him on the phone talking to someone about how just because he was dressed like that, they practically strip searched him in the back. But, I was still uneasy. As was everyone else at the gate that day. Most people were looking at him out of the side of their eyes. Some were just flat out glaring. I was looking at everyone else's reaction.

I now understand why I had my fears. But, I feel like a total hypocrite for having them. Anyone who knows me knows that I am one of the most accepting, understanding, sympathetic, whatever you want to call it to everyone in this world. I know several Muslims that are the sweetest, kindest, most giving people in the world. I knew it was a small majority of the population that decided to terrorize our country that day. But, I still judged that man in the airport. I still felt frightened.

Seven years after the airport incident, I no longer feel that way. I am no more frightened of a Muslim person now than I was before the attacks (which was none at all). My boss is Muslim and he is the best boss I have ever worked for. Calm, mild-mannered, extreme family-man...generous.

I still haven't forgotten that fateful day, and I never will. I am a proud American...and am proud to still be able to embrace people for who they are. But I will always remember this day for all the thousands and thousands of people that died...and the families that still suffer.

Never Forget!

Running still sucks, but now I kinda like it!

Not really sure what's wrong with me, but this running thing isn't as horrible as I might have once thought. Yes, I am still slow and yes, I can barely run a few minutes without a walk break and yes, it still sucks hardcore while I am actually doing it. But I have this weird sense of accomplishment when I am done. I actually have a goal race in mind, too. The Addison Oktoberfest 5K in 5 weeks. Yep...5 whole Ks! Also, I am doing a walk for Autism in November...please visit my site and donate to help us reach our goal!

The past few weeks have been hectic and weird. Work was super busy as was school. By the way, I am now officially halfway through grad school and have maintained my A average! Of course, my next class is accounting, so not sure if it will stay that way. Then we had layoffs. Luckily for the majority of us, there were 3 part-timers here and they were the ones that were let go. However, rumor has it that the next step would be cutting everyone's hours down to 32/week. Which means basically a 20% pay cut. That would be disastrous for my finances right now! I'm putting off buying my accounting book because I can't afford it. Hopefully ordering it on September 3rd will be plenty of time for it to get to me by the first class on September 12th. I'm hoping we are still getting raises next month like we are supposed to...especially since they are now taking money out of our pay for insurance. But anyway, on top of that, I have started my running class this week, too. It's a good thing I have a couple of weeks off before my next class begins. I can just veg for a minute before it all starts to ramp back up.

Two Recipes

As usual, I haven't stuck to a plan...which is to post recipes on my blog. I really don't have time to cook like I used to so lately it's been really quick, simple meals. But, here are two new favorites I have recently made:

"Di Fara" Pizza
(This is my super fast and cheap version of a great pizza we had in Brooklyn from Di Fara)
1 can Pillsbury Thin Crust pizza dough (oddly enough, they don't have it on their website)
1/2 cup olive oil (I didn't measure this...so probably not that much...just grab the bottle)
1 1/2 cup pizza sauce (my favorite is Prego Traditional)
1 cup Italian cheese (I get the cheapest bag of shredded at the store)
1 small bunch of fresh basil
Other toppings of your choice but use sparingly! I personally just eat it with cheese only.
Scissors
Large cookie sheet

Preheat the oven to 400. Spread out the dough in the cookie sheet. Pour pizza sauce and spread out. Top with cheese and other toppings. Tip: I use a litte more sauce than cheese, but not a lot of either. Drizzle entire pizza with olive oil. Bake for 10-12 minutes. When pizza is hot out of the oven, snip fresh basil over the top to your taste. I use quite a bit. Drizzle with more olive oil over the entire pizza. Enjoy!

Now here are the obvious major differences. Mr. DeMarco only uses fresh ingredients from Italy. All of them. He uses fresh mozzerella and does add a couple of handfuls of shredded fresh mozzerella on top when it comes out of the oven. But, I'm not a huge cheese lover so I skip that part.

Here's the second recipe from my best friend. Her oldest son's father is Lebanese and while he doesn't see that side of the family any more, he does still ask for some of the traditional food that his grandma made. This is my take on what she told me...a lot different.

Lebanese Rice (I don't know what it's called)
1 1/2 cups wild rice
3 1/2 cups water
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1 1/2 T. Chinese 5 spice (she uses the traditional Arabic 7 spice, but I was at Target shopping)
2 large cloves of garlic, crushed
1 bag of fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup baby bella mushrooms
1 lemon
Olive oil to taste

Bring the water to a boil and let the bouillon cube dissolve. Add 5 spice, garlic cloves and rice to water. Turn heat down and simmer for 45 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed and rice isn't crunchy (it's really hard to cook wild/brown rice!). Add in mushrooms. Add in 3/4 of the bag of fresh baby spinach and stir to wilt (easier to add some spinach, let it wilt, add more and so on). When all the liquid is absorbed, plate however much you would like. Squeeze a little lemon juice and top with a drizzle of olive oil.

This would be a great side dish, but I ate it as a full on meal! It was lacking something that I'm sure the Arabic 7 spice has in it. But, I can't place my finger on it. I think it needed a little heat. Enjoy!

Running Sucks.

Ok, first, go to my Facebook to see pics of New York. I give up trying to post them here as it's already been how many weeks and I haven't yet.

Second, I REALLY hate running! I started an 8 week program that is supposed to take me from nothing at all to being able to run for 30 minutes straight. For week 1, the running days of that week were all the same. Run 1 minute, walk 2 minutes, repeat 10 times. The first day I was dying and wanted to quit by minute 9 or 10. But I pushed through. Until week 7, there are only 4 running days. On day 2, it was a little better and by day 4 I thought it was so easy I couldn't wait to move up!

Then week 2 comes along. And oh how it is kicking my ass! All of a sudden, we go from running only 1 mere minute with a 2 minute walking break...to running 2 whole minutes with only a 1 minute walking break. WTF? I didn't think it was going to be hard on Monday...but then I had to stop after 23 minutes. Which isn't too bad, I guess. I still made it 23 minutes and then took Babs for a walk after to cool down. Jonathan thought I was running too fast (really?) so on Wednesday I slowed it down to basically being a power walk pace. But I was "running" it.

I don't know what it was...the slow pace or the increase to 3 minutes running with 1 minute walk breaks...but I died at minute 20. Literally. I am a ghost writing this right now. My breathing wasn't what was bothering me. I was supposed to repeat that pattern 7 times. On the 5th repitition my body just stopped. My hips hurt. My stupid right foot that likes to supinate hurt along the outside. My calves were burning like no other. More than anything, I think it was the pace. It was just too slow to run at.

Today, I am supposed to go up to running 4 minutes and walking 1 minute. How will I ever accomplish this? I went back to the article where I found this plan and started reading the comments. A lot of people had to change it to fit their needs and some even took longer than the 8 weeks. Which is what I think I will need to do. It's really a test of my patience...something I have a very little of. When I have a goal in mind, I like to accomplish it as quickly as possible. This is something that just has to be done slowly if I want to be able to do it at all!

But here's the thing...in virtually every article that is on Runner's World, not one person is able to run without struggle. Even the really good, God-like runners that seem to be able to go on for hours without any struggle. They hurt, too! They run out of breath, too! They feel like stopping, too! But they don't. They push through and that's what keeps them in shape and being able to do more. It may take a while for me to be able to call myself a true runner (i.e., someone who actually likes to do it), but I will get there someday.

Oh, and big duh moment on my part...my dad used to be a cross-country coach! Why don't I ask him for advice? Hello!

Pictures of NYC

Yeah, yeah. No pictures posted yet. I was busy this weekend and pretty much gone all day on Saturday. I am starting my running training today so maybe after that, I will get time. I also have a paper to write this week by Wednesday. AHHHH!

OK, so I will post pictures by Friday. That's my goal. So far, Monday = no pictures. :) Sorry y'all!

Changes

I've decided that part of my foul mood lately isn't just work, it's the fact that I am not being a healthy person. So, in light of that fact, I've decided to make some changes in my daily routine.

First change, exercise. It's so hit or miss with me. Reading back through this blog, you can see that I either go whole hog or no hog. Lately, it's been no hog citing school as the reason. Well, that's a stupid reason! I can get back on board with working out on my lunch breaks and my mom graciously donated her treadmill to my cause (well, the cause wasn't around then, but whatever...go with it). Since there's a treadmill now sitting in my living room, literally right in front of the TV, I really can't whine and moan about having to go to the gym after I have already come home and started to relax. I also don't have to worry about finding workout clothes based on if I am having a fat day or whether or not I have shaved. Jonthan can just deal with that ugliness! The general public, however, cannot. I was raised in Dallas, you know. With this treadmill, I am going to make an honest effort to become a runner. I used to run. In high school. I was also extremely fit and weighed about 100 pounds. So, I need to get a little closer to that than what I have been doing lately...which is nothing. I found an 8 week plan that is designed for people to go from doing absolutely nothing (actually, for people who have never run at all) to being able to run 30 minutes straight in 8 weeks. That starts Monday and until then, I am walking on the treadmill at least 30 minutes every day. No excuses. Last night went really well and before I knew it, I was done! I could watch what I wanted and I wasn't distracted by people possibly looking at me. So, maybe...just maybe...I can actually do this running thing after all. It's all about taking it slow. Something I am not good at but it's probably what has caused me to stop trying after a few times in the past. Patience, my friends. Patience.

Another change is overall eating habits. I need to stop it with the fast food and only eat things that I buy and then have to prepare myself. I love to cook, I just don't seem to have the time or energy anymore (which I'm sure all the fast food and no exercise has nothing to do with the lack of energy!). Even if it is only a Smart Dog, at least I prepared it myself! Also, smaller meals and more snacks. I always have a tendency to wait until I am starving, eat a giant meal, get way too full and bloated and then not eat the rest of the day only to become hungry again as I am falling asleep. Not a good cycle to be in.

Before we left for New York (I will post pics soon...promise!), I ran out of my Diet Dr Peppers. When we got back, I didn't bother to buy anymore. My dentist keeps getting onto me about drinking them and when I was flossing the other night, I swear it looked like my teeth were jacked up at the gum line. I know it's from my receeding gums that I need to have surgery on (again), but this little voice inside my head said it was from those dang soft drinks and the acid was eating away at my teeth. So, I haven't had a Diet DP since New York...Sunday, I think, was my last. The only time I really miss it is in the morning. I usually have one on my drive in and without it, I feel like I am screwing up my routine completely!

Because of this new goal of not drinking any Cokes (even the free and oh so tempting ones at work), I went to Teavana today so that I can get back into tea again. The last time I dropped a bunch of weight quickly, I was drinking a ton of green tea every day. No Cokes, no coffee, just tea and water. So, I got this tea maker and mug for work along with white, mate and rooibos teas. I used to drink the mate tea all the time before I got too lazy to continue to make it. It was great! Much better at energizing me than coffee. But, coffee was easier and free at work. Which is why I got the the tea maker. I figure I will probably drink at least 4 cups of tea per day. To prepare and clean, it's maybe 5 or 6 minutes out of my day total. If our receptionist can take two 15 minute smoke breaks in addition to her lunch break, then I can take a few minutes for a tea break. I tried the rooibos this afternoon and it was amazingly good! I probably won't try the white until tomorrow, but it smells fantastic.

I am really trying to follow through on this one. I tend to say I am going to do something, plan it death and then get tired of it before I really give it a chance. I feel that these are vital changes that need to be made to help me be in a better mood and therefore be a better employee, student, friend and family member.

New York Here We Come!!!

We leave bright and early in the morning! Woo hoo! Actually, not so bright since our flight leaves before the sun rises, but whatever. Hopefully I won't be too wiped out, but I plan on posting lots of pics on Monday. Have a great 4th of July weekend!

Ads

Well, those ads are gone now. I received an email from Google saying that displaying ads on my blog was financially damaging to their advertisers. LOL! Because my blog is so hardcore or something. What I want to know is, will they at least pay me the $40 or so that I earned with them? Probably not. What a waste of time.

Now I have to figure out another way to make a few extra bucks without actually doing any extra work. I haven't heard back from TWU about my financial aid. I probably won't get that either. I'm way too honest and a question on the application was "How much do you have in all your accounts right now?" I said what I literally had right then. Too bad I was about to pull out several thousand to pay my tuition the next week. So, what I had right then is no longer what I have right now.

I think I have decided that I do not like to battle a budget. This sucks! It seems to be all that I think about lately and it's really stressing me out. Of course work is stressing me out right now as well, but we won't get into that here. Basically, for those that know, it's the same thing, different day. Yet again. Things never change and people never learn and I am stuck in the middle. Let's just say, I'm coming at you from the front desk today.

Let's go ahead and change that subject before I have a classic Amie foot in the mouth disease moment, shall we? This weekend was super busy! I took the afternoon off on Friday to do some school work, but since my car had been yelling at me for 2 weeks to get my oil changed, I had to go do that first. Then I had school on Saturday and a group presentation. Here's my question...how can you be so irresponsible in your late 30s/early 40s that you can severly let your group down? There was this guy in our group who did not have his part done by Saturday. Then, as he was scrambling to finish it, he did it completely wrong...actually, he just wrote down our skit...something that we were presenting and not at all what he was supposed to do. We scrambled on our lunch break to write it for him, all the while he was just blaming his kids! This guy will never be able to be a manager and if he is one already, then I feel sorry for his subordinates. So FRUSTRATING! He lied to us, he lied to the teacher and he blamed his kids. Can we say "loser?"

I never sleep well the night before a presentation, so I ended up falling asleep by 8:30 Saturday night. Sad, I know. Sunday, I drove to Sherman to help my cousin move her couch and bed to her brand new temporary apartment! Well, Jonathan was the one that really helped, I just supervised. On Friday, she learned that the apartment she was supposed to be moving into still needed to have the fire marshall inspect it (they are still building the complex) and so she has to move to a temporary (although bigger!) apartment first. Which totally sucks and she's handling it like a champ. I say, she needs to stay in the temporary apartment as long as possible since they are paying all her bills while she is there. :) But it's me and I'll take anything that's free...even if it means living out of boxes for a while.

After we got back on Sunday, I went over to my mom's for a while to pick up some pants she hemmed and somehow ended up taking her treadmill home. Which is completely awesome! After I get back from New York (leaving this week!), I am going to start going to the gym again on my lunch breaks and lift weights and then when I get home, I can just walk on the treadmill while being at home and watching what I want to watch. I won't have to deal with not wanting to go back out to the gym, the nasty, sweaty, smelly guys that are always there in the evening, fighting for a machine that is probably broken, etc. Hopefully, having a treadmill in my living room will get my butt back in gear to actually work out just a tad more. We'll see about that one!

Retail Therapy!

I am so bored today. Ever since my schedule was changed and I have had to work on Fridays, I haven't had anything to do! It makes my day go by really slowly and miserably. So, I decided to go shopping on my lunch break for a couple of things I needed for New York. Now, the closest mall to work is in the ghetto...because work is in the ghetto...so I have learned not to expect much out of my shopping excursions. But the Forever 21 at this mall was awesome! I know, I know. I'm probaby way too old to be shopping at freaking Forever 21, but I need some cheap clothes and they tend to do ok knock-offs of designer trends. Actually, first I went to Dillard's, but Dillard's in the ghetto doesn't really have a designer collection to speak of (not that I base all my wardrobe on designer fashion, but Dillard's does tend to have great sales on some of my favorite brands). Go figure that Forever 21 would actually be decent. I only got 3 items...skinny jeans, a gauzy button up and a pair of shorts. 3 things I didn't have and 3 things I could definitely use all the time. So, in my eyes, I did pretty well!

I still need something for our last day and I'm not sure if I'm feeling what I have planned for our first night, so there might need to be a little more shopping in the future. I know...what about my big budget crisis? It's all accounted for and planned out. I'm good like that.

The Sims 3

OK, this is going to be bad. Here comes my inner geek! So, I got The Sims 3 last night. There is WAY too much to control and do in this game! It's amazing. I think I spent at least 3 hours last night just setting up my character and decorating (my favorite part!). I haven't even explored the city yet. That will be tonight. Except I need to quit my job first...in the game that is. Not sure why I got a job before I cheated my way to greatness. :)

I love that you can make the character a lot like you. However, I don't like that there are so many screens that I can't figure it out! It took us the good part of 20 minutes just to figure out how to move to a new house. Hint: you have to use your cell phone. Hint: that's hard to find, too. I guess I should have done the tutorial before I just dove in. I told the game that I never wanted to do the tutorial so now I am effectively screwed. But, in the options part, there are "lessons." Too bad they start in the middle of something. Like the whole moving thing. It didn't start with, "Go to your inventory. Click on your cell phone. Click 'Move.'"

Anyway, so to all my friends and family...sorry if I ignore you in the weeks to come! Blame The Sims!

About those cookies...

...we polished them off last night. Sad. I made over 2 dozen! They are just THAT good.

So, it's summer. Definitely. And, apparently my lily white skin just doesn't respond to sunscreen anymore. On Memorial Day, we went to Jonathan's parents' house to go swimming with his niece and nephew. I had some spray sunscreen, SPF 70...no, I'm not kidding...shut up...at least I won't have wrinkles!...where was I?, from last year that I used. I thought it was still ok to use and it didn't expire until July. I burned. Badly. So, I figured that it just lost it's potency as it worked just fine the year before. When we went to Sam's the next weekend, I bought some new sunscreen. This time it was only SPF 55, but when I was younger, SPF 30 worked just fine! I tested out the new sunscreen this past Sunday when we went swimming...and I burned. Not as badly as last time, but I had more burn coverage this time. Basically, my legs didn't burn. And that was it. So, do you start burning easier the older you get? I didn't think we were swimming for that long...but maybe it was a couple of hours. And I put on the sunscreen before we even left our house, so it wasn't that it washed off immediately.

I guess I'm just doomed to look like an albino the rest of my life. At least I have the freckles that help give me *some* color.

Super Easy Cookie Recipe

This recipe comes from Jonathan...who got it from his sister...who got it from a friend. It's the easiest cookie recipe in the world! It's also a great one for the kids to make with you.

Cake Cookies

1 box of cake mix (any kind you want...although, I don't suggest pound cake)

1 block cream cheese (8oz.)

1 stick of unsalted butter

1 egg yolk

Cream together the cream cheese, butter and egg yolk. Slowly add all the cake mix until well-blended. The batter will be fairly thick and sticky. Using a regular spoon, glob heaping spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until edges are golden. Place on cookie rack to cool...unless you can't wait that long. :)

These cookies (obviously) have a very cakey taste and they stay super soft for the longest time! My personal favorites are lemon and strawberry, but Kroger was having a sale today so I got the funfetti kind. Those are good, too. 

Ketchup

So, I ran across this today. Hmph. Hunt's Ketchup? NUMBER ONE? These people are ridiculous! I am a Heinz girl all the freaking way. Third? REALLY? I can't believe this.

Anyone who knows me knows that ketchup is a major part of my life. I love the stuff. I can't get enough. And, ask Jonathan about my love for Heinz. He once dared to try and buy something else. THAT wasn't going to happen! After a far too long lecture on the finer points of ketchup consumption, he had learned his lesson.

Another that kills me about Jonathan and his ketchup habits? 1.) He dumps it ON TOP of his food! What a heathen! You should always dip. Ask my mom about "dippy dippy" and you will know that this right here is a life-long obsession. 2.) He doesn't use nearly enough! There should be a perfect 1:1 ratio of ketchup to ... whatever ... and sometimes HE DOESN'T USE IT AT ALL! Ugh. As if. 3.) Well, there's not really a 3. It just seemed wrong to leave it at 2.

Recipes!

I've got it! I start by sharing recipes! I like to cook...I often come up with my own recipes...and lately I have been slacking in that department so it gives me an excuse to try to cook at home more often!

First up, I will share with you a very easy, very nutritious vegan meal that I came up with the other night. Normally, I don't like to use so many packaged ingredients, but I was cooking with what we had at home...and the cupboard is bare, folks!

Quinoa with Okra:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1 package of Kroger frozen okra (can't remember how much it was)
1 can diced tomatoes (14oz)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare quinoa by placing 1 cup of quinoa into 2 cups of boiling water. Reduce to simmer. Add a pinch of salt to taste. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Top off with olive oil...as much as desired...and mix in. I always have a hard time not burning the bottom layer so I make a little more to account for this. While the quinoa is cooking, bring one can of diced tomatoes with half a can of water to a boil. Add the entire bag of frozen okra and boil for 8 to 10 minutes until okra is tender. Add pepper to taste.

Scoop about 1/2 cup quinoa into bowl and top with as much okra and tomatoes as desired and enjoy!

See? Super easy! For those of you who don't know, quinoa (pronounced KEEN-WAAH) is a super healthy and protein-packed seed...type thing...grain? It looks like little beige poppy seeds. It doesn't have a ton of flavor on it's own, but use it in place of rice and pasta for a very healthy alternative. You can also add stuff to it, much like rice, pasta and couscous, to make it more flavorful.

Enjoy!

Those ads...

...are hilarious! Obviously I have talked about allergies enough that it's all the ads on my blog. I find that hilarious.

Anyway, let's see how this experiment with ads goes. AdSense said it wouldn't post any porn-type ads so this should be a sort of family-friendly blog. Until my mouth gets the better of me. I'm trying to find topics to talk about to make myself seem more interesting, but I feel so uninspired lately. All I do really is go to work and school. How much fun is that? Last night, Jonthan, Babs and I had to stay at my parents' house. That was fun. You don't think so? It was different...how's that? We at least got free food that was really good and Babs was worn out smelling around a new house that she has never been to. Oh yeah...why did we spend the night at my parents' house? Because our electricity was out for almost 24 hours because of those lovely storms yesterday. Poor Beast had to stay all by himself in a hot house last night. Oh well. I'm sure he didn't mind too much.

So, I was reading through some of my old posts...I don't stick to anything, do I? What happened to all those diets? And my workouts? Where did they go?!?!? I don't think I've kept a single thing going since I started this thing...except school. That's always one thing I am motivated to complete since there is an end in sight. I guess I do better with a deadline. I might procrastinate a tad (as in, I have a presentation to give tomorrow and haven't started on it yet!). But, I will stick to it if I have a definite end. I have a definite end in mind to lose weight...by the time we go to New York...but I know me. That won't happen! Maybe I am comfortable at the weight I'm at? Weird! I'm now laughing at myself for THAT revelation!

Well, that's it for now. No, I didn't have anything important to say...just being random.

Wondering how to follow the last...

It seems like posting about anything after my last post is just trivial. But, this is a pretty trivial blog, so I guess life must go on! I need to figure out how to make more money without taking on more responsibility. I make a decent salary at my current job, but sometimes I just spend stupidly. I buy stuff I don't really need while ignoring the things I do. And then everything comes to a head at the same time. Take right now for instance...we just paid for our trip to New York, but Belle's vet bills were an unexpected bill, I need new tires, I have tuition to pay, etc. So, right now I am about broke! I took some time today to fill out all sorts of profiles to get paid for taking surveys. Time well spent, in my opinion. :) I know I won't make a ton of money off of it, but if I can make enough to have cash on hand to go to lunch every once in a while, that's a good thing, right? Also, there are a couple that pay you in gift cards. If I can get Target and Amazon gift cards for free every once in a while, that helps with those two enormous money takers. Yes, I'm addicted to both. I love to read, plus I get a lot of my school books on Amazon, and Target is...well...it's Target! What can I NOT find there? Now if I could just get some Petsmart gift cards thrown in, my shopping expenses are about covered.

Also, there is an option to "Monetize" this blog. But, I don't think that many people read it. I don't even know if my friends read it! If I do monetize this, you guys HAVE to click on those ads, ok? This is my education we are talking about! I guess I have to figure out how to become more interesting and/or funny. I'm funny in person...sort of...it just doesn't come out in my writing. Hmm...that's something I will have to figure out...how to be more interesting. Does playing The Sims count? We are probably going to get Sims 3 this weekend, so should I start writing about all the different characters I am making and spending hours upon useless hours doing that? Maybe start taking suggestions for characters and posting how I screwed them up somehow? Anyone? No? I'll keep thinking.

Belle Brooks: February 11, 2003 - June 5, 2009

Belle didn't make it. This morning things took a turn for the worse. When I put her up on the bed this morning as usual, she had a weird look to her and then just collapsed. I should have listened to my instincts, but I didn't. I went to work. As I pulled into the parking lot, Jonathan texted me saying she was collapsing while she was going potty and had tunnel vision. I called the vet and they said to bring her in ASAP. We had the option of giving her a transfusion, but the chance of it working was very small. So, we chose the only option there was. We didn't think it would be very fair to her to keep trying when the chance of survival was low and the chance of it coming back was so high.

These two pictures were taken of her last night...our last with her.

She was the best dog. I loved her dearly and she will be missed. She was my protection when I was alone. She was always by side. She was a little neurotic and had many obsessions. That was the Border Collie in her! She was an absolute joy and there will never be another like her. (By the way, she hated having her picture taken...so most of my pics are of her looking away.)

Belle Update - Updated

She seemed to have a little more energy last night. Jonathan and I already had plans to go to a free premiere of The Hangover. So, I went to the Angelika right after work last night. Feeling guilty the entire time. The movie was hilarious and I highly recommend it, though.

Anyway, when we got home, she seemed in good spirits to see us, wanted lots of petting and love and wolfed down an entire packet of food. That's still not anywhere near what she should have eaten (if she must eat the packets, she needs about 6 or 7 per day...still no luck on the dry food), but she ate it and that's what counts. She took all 4 of her pills in cheese very well. But of course, they were in cheese! Why wouldn't she eat them? She has always been pretty good at taking medicine and before she stopped eating, all we had to do was throw the pills in with her meal and she would gobble them right up. She also seemed to be less stiff in the joints when she was walking. I mistook the stiffness for waddling because of her *few* extra pounds, but her joints are really stiff. But, she seemed to be better in that department a little.

Of course, I could be reading way too much into all of this since I am hoping beyond all hope that this does turn out to be something from a tick and we will have many more years together. After all, if it is a tick, she should be back to normal by this weekend. And I really, really want that. She's my baby.

I allowed her to sleep in the bed last night, but I think she was too hot and jumped down after about an hour. Which is a side effect of the prednisone. I mean, steroids make people sweat so I would assume it makes dogs very hot as well.

So far, the expenses are adding up just in general. The vet bill from yesterday was a couple hundred higher than a normal visit with shots, but it was nowhere near the thousand dollar mark, so that's good? I guess? But, I also start my allergy shots today and before my insurance kicks in with 80%, I have to meet my deductible. I still have just under $600 to go, so there's a big payment today. Plus, I am in dire need of new tires. Not sure when I can fit that in seeing as how I have to work on Fridays now (no hope of that changing any time soon) and I have school on Saturdays. Plus, New York...which is already paid for so we kind of have to go now. And then add tuition for school and books on top of that and I am just all around broke!

But, as long as Belle gets healthy again, I am a very happy girl. And that's all that matters to me right now.

Update: The vet just called. All the tick diseases came back negative. He said that if it's within a month or so, they can be negative when they are really there. But, in hindsight the past couple of days, I started noticing some of these symptoms here and there several months ago. So, the prognosis is not good at all at this point. He is hoping she gets better this week with the meds she is on. I don't think he convinced me that it would happen, though, by the tone of his voice.

So Sad

So, we might have to put Belle down. Everything is pretty much a crap shoot right now. The vet said she is in very serious condition. Basically, her white blood cells and red blood cells are wiped out, therefore she is severely anemic, running a fever, has an infection, etc. She has been extremely lethargic (doesn't even care about squirrels lately!) and hasn't been eating very much the past couple of weeks. Some days she won't eat a single bite. The vet said it could either be a tick disease or auto-immune. If the tick bacteria shows up in her bloodwork, that's a good thing (from what I can figure out). They gave her heavy doses of prednisone and antibiotics. If it is a tick thing, the antibiotics will kill the bacteria from the tick and the prednisone will build her blood count back up. If she starts perking up and feeling better within a couple of days, that's a good sign that it's working and everything will be ok. If not, they need to do further testing. He said sometimes it can be cancer but the x-rays they did today did not show any tumors. But there was something on her lungs. He called it something, I can't remember, but it sounded like bronchitis. Which makes sense because she has been coughing a lot the past couple of weeks. The other thing it could be, if it's not ticks or cancer, is that her immune system is just attacking her blood cells. He said this happens sometimes and from what I have read online, this happens most often in collies and spaniels. It's called Hemolytic Anemia. Either way, cancer or Hemolytic Anemia, she will probably be put down. I just don't have the money to support the treatment if there's not a guarantee of it working. Also, I don't know if I could handle it. I would be constantly stressed and worried that she is in pain and doesn't feel well. Which would make me feel so guilty.

I'm (obviously) really upset right now. I am mad at myself because I started noticing some of these symptoms a while ago and just chalked it up to her getting older. I should have taken her to the vet then. The symptoms just didn't seem that bad. Up until about two weeks ago, she still went nutso over lizards (her new obsession) and her cough was just every once in a while when she got too exerted. I thought that was just because she was fat. I could just kick myself.

My pretty girl:

And now I want one.

So, my best friend had a baby yesterday! She is so freaking cute and chubby. She was 10 days early and pretty much 8 full pounds. If she had made it to her due date, that baby would have been huge! Not that I am biased or anything towards my best friend's children, but this little girl was perfect. It makes me want one. I'm sure the fact that the baby didn't cry at all while I was there has nothing to do with this. :) Actually, if she did cry, it would have snapped me back into reality really quickly. I know I'm definitely not ready to have kids yet...even if Jonathan and I were married right now, I still know that I'm not ready yet. I'm not in the place I want to be when I have kids so they can just wait! But look at this chubby, wubby face!

So sweet! And she has a head full of dark curly hair. She's going to be a cutie!

Anyway...off that subject and onto another. I had my allergy testing done...it was bad. The government should really consider this as a new form of toture! Imagine having your back covered in fire ant and mosquito bites and not being able to touch them or move your head because your damn hair is too long and they should have told you that before you started so you could tie it all up and move your freaking head at some point during the 20 minute torture session! Not that I was upset by it at all or anything. Basically, it's just easier to say what I'm not allergic to: food (I would have been way upset if this was the case), horses, cattle, hampsters and down feathers. There are some trees in there that I'm not allergic to...surprisingly, I am not allergic to cottonwood! I thought everyone in Texas was at least allergic to that. But, I am allergic to the 3 giant oak trees in my yard. Yay. The worst allergens, though, were grass (all of them), weeds (all of them), dust, dust mites, mold and fungus. Luckily, my dog and cat allergies were pretty minor. The doctor said there wasn't any point in telling me to give them up because years of experience have taught him that it's a fight not worth fighting. Plus, he said they were so minor, it wasn't even worth worrying about, really. But, since I am so allergic to so many things out of my direct control, I am starting allergy shots on Thursday. Let's hope they work!

School is going alright. I am done with my Maymester class...all I know is that I got 96s on 2 of my assignments. Still waiting on my participation and book assignment grades, but I am expecting an A in the class. I had to drop one class from this summer because my professor decided that he didn't want to start class on July 11...he wanted to start it on June 27. Which is the last day of my current class. He also expects us to team up by June 30 (it's 100% online...so the group project thing is strange) and have our topic and overview to him by July 6. Well, I'm going to be in New York from July 2-5 and with our flight times, I am basically out of commission July 1-6. So, I would already be screwing over my team right off the bat. Plus, I just found out that in my current class, we have a book report due on July 6 so there already goes part of my vacation. I just don't get how these professors really expect us to to all this work while still being at work 40+ hours a week. I mean, some professors are very accomodating and understand this so they cut down their normal full-semester into a more manageable one...but then there's some who expect you to do 3 full months worth of work in 4 weeks! But whatever. I chose this so I should just suck it up, huh? :)

That's all for today!

Update: Turns out her hair is not curly. What looked like curl was just from being in all that gunk for 9 months. Her hair is straight as a board! In fact, here's a new pic after her first bath. She didn't like it so she is scowling in it...too cute!

I might die...

I haven't had a Clarinex since Monday night. Why? Because I am getting more allergy testing done next Thursday and I have to have it out of my system. I can still take the Singulair and the Veramyst but they aren't doing jack squat for me right now. I went home on Tuesday because I thought I was going to die. The rest of this week isn't much better. I'm hacking up a lung, sneezing constantly, blowing my nose until it's raw, my ears hurt and are clogged and are ringing and I feel like I am constantly on the brink of a migraine! Add to that the fact that I can't really breathe and my throat is burning so badly that you would have thought I poured jalapeno juice down it, and we have a fun week on our hands! I don't think I'm going to survive another week of this. I really, really don't!

The good news is, I got my grades for my first semester of grad school yesterday...4.0!!! I was a tad worried about my last class as we had some last minute drama on our paper, but we pulled off an A in the class so who cares! This week started my Maymester class. Yes, it's the same two weeks in which I feel like dying. I have timing like no other! It's a lot of work, but it's more busy work rather than really hard work. So, it's not too overwhelming. Luckily work has slowed down for a couple of weeks and our admin that's always out finally is back in the office. Maybe during my review next week I will be able to switch my hours from 7am - 4pm. I have my review the same day as I am having my allergy testing. So, I'm sure I will be hacking up a lung and sneezing all the way through it. Considering I feel like I am always underwater and dazed, I'm not sure if I will be able to have a conversation by that time! Wish me luck!

Chicken Little

OK, so I can give absolutely no credit for this post to myself. A very temporary, yet the absolute best, ex-VP of my last job writes these little e-maily/bloggy type things to all of her "girlfriends." I usually find them very inspirational and find myself figuring out how I can pattern my life more like hers as I grow up. I thought the email today was great so I would like to repost it here.

A State of Confidence vs. the State of Fear

I love the tale of Chicken Little. The story goes that one day there was this Chick walking around in the woods when an acorn popped her on the head. It scared her so bad and she shook so hard, that half her feathers fell out. The Chick (now looking pretty darn scary, I guess) further wigged out and started crying, "Help! Help! The sky is falling. I have to go tell the king!" But on the way she spread the awful story of impending doom by telling her girlfriend Ducky Lucky; and then she carried on to Goosey Loosey; and, of course, Turkey Lurkey had to hear the bad news, too. Chicken Little's fear, based on her limited knowledge and experience, spread negativity and panic through her network like a bad rash.

I have a C.L. in my life, and you probably do, too. Like Chicken Little, my C.L. also chooses to operate in a state of fear. Without fail, at lunch or dinner, the storm clouds gather as she breathlessly broadcasts the demise of our country, the unraveling of our social fabric, and the end of our economy. She casts such a foreboding shadow over the conversation that by the time dessert is served - everyone around the table is ready to slit their wrists. Not because she's an expert in politics or finance or societal issues -but because she's an expert in being a Chicken Little!

Fear is contagious. Once a C.L. starts talking trash, just watch - all the rest of us will fall in line. Steve and I recently spread the contagion to each other. We had become so convinced that our condo building wasn't going to close, we worked ourselves into a tizzy. And like Chicken Little, we stressed. While we didn't lose our feathers, we did lose sleep . . . and peace.

Our C.L. episode came to an end one morning when, independently, we came to the conclusion that our negative thinking was choking out hope. Hope for this great home that we had planned for and saved for and...waited almost two years for. We realized that we had chosen to operate in a state of fear, based on nothing more than rumor and our vivid imaginations.

The uncertain outcome for our condo cottage-in-the-sky had dragged on for months, so you can only imagine our amazement when two days later - the deal and the closing date were confirmed. (We closed this morning.)

Wasted energy. Operating in a state of fantasy-based fear is just useless. Yes, bad things can happen, but our fear (whether real or imagined) won't fix it. It can, however, choke all thoughts of a bright future from our heart and mind. But maybe worse than that, the resulting negativity steals precious conversations and exchanges of hope with others.

So, I've decided to shift my thinking. By operating in a state of confidence, I now consciously hold onto words like "promise," because my life story, while not always rosy, could have been a lot worse. And I wait expectantly on the future - knowing that good things happen every day and good things will continue to happen for our country, our economy, my family, and ...me.

"You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear; as young as your hope, as old as your despair." - Anonymous

Have you fallen into the rathole of Chicken Little thinking? Choose today to operate in a state of confidence for your future and share that state with others by gently deflecting the negative chatter. The sky ain't fallin'.

Source: http://www.ellenmiller.com/2009/05/a-state-of-confidence-vs-the-s.html

As I always tell my friends, you can handle anything that comes your way. Things might suck at the present moment, but in time you will be fine. Everyone has to have a little suck in their life. It's in some rule book somewhere. Promise!

Jen Freaking Lancaster, Bitches!!!!

So, I got to meet my hero last night. Jen Lancaster. It was awesome. :) If you haven't heard of her or if you haven't read her books, I strongly suggest you do so...NOW! Here's the list of her books, full titles included:

1.) Bitter is the New Black : Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass,Or, Why You Should Never Carry A Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office

2.) Bright Lights, Big Ass: A Self-Indulgent, Surly, Ex-Sorority Girl's Guide to Why it Often Sucks in the City, or Who are These Idiots and Why Do They All Live Next Door to Me?

3.) Such a Pretty Fat: One Narcissist's Quest To Discover if Her Life Makes Her Ass LookBig, Or Why Pie is Not The Answer

4.) Pretty in Plaid: A Life, a Witch, and a Wardrobe, or, the Wonder Years Before the Condescending,Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smart Ass Phase

I love, love, love all of her books! They are all about her life and her first two books are a direct result of her blog. Yes, folks, she is a blogger turned author. In fact, one of the first! I am almost done with the last book and it's just as great as the first. I've laughed out loud with all of these, but I think the third book made me laugh the hardest. Basically, she decides to go on a diet and hilarity ensues. The yoga part is the best...by far!

Currently, Jen is on tour for her latest book, the Pretty in Plaid one. She came to Dallas last night. When she announced her tour dates, she said she had to fight to come to Dallas so we had better represent. And at about 300 women (with a few men squeezed somewhere in there), we did! My mom is the best...she got there at 2:30, which secured us front row seats and Group A passes to get our books signed.

Jen seemed very surprised when she came up the escalator to see all these people:

To my front right side:

To my back right side:To my front left side:

And, finally, to my back left:

I'm sure I have everyone's permission to post these. It was supposed to be a big 80s party, but the fact that a lot of us are just coming from work, it just didn't end up being that way. I saw 3 people decked out in their 80s finest...including the woman in that last picture with the white shirt and red camisole. I liked her 80s. :) I was going to go in my NKOTB concert outfit...but I didn't think that would lend itself well to my "appointment" excuse I gave work for leaving an hour early. Too bad I didn't think that through, because I had roughly 3 hours before Jen even got there to get ready! I could have crimped my hair at the very least. I owed that much to her.

But, I was still an uber-fan by being the VERY FIRST to get my book signed! Behold:

Also? The very first to have my picture taken with her:

You might not be able to tell in this picture, but we are wearing the EXACT SAME pearl necklace and earrings. That was pretty freaking awesome, too! Jen is the one that taught me it is, in fact, ok to love pearls. I always secretly have like them, just thought I had to be a lot older. After reading Jen's first book, I busted out the pearls as often as I could. Also, I was trying to plan out the perfect witty remark that would get her to want me to become her BFF in Dallas...but I just stared in awe. Then, after my mom's book was signed, I blurted out, "I am totally the 28 year old you!" Yeah. Smooth. Like she hasn't heard that a thousand times!

However, I also had the chance to have the best revenge of my life last night! Ok, in my book, this is totally revenge...might just seem dorky to everyone else. So, as I am sitting completely antsy in my chair (front row...did I mention that?)...because it's 5 minutes before Jen arrives...who do I see coming up the escalator? Heinous Bitch! For those that don't know, this is what I call my old boss. She was horrible to me. Completely rude and horrible. So, I'm freaking out, my mom is dying laughing, we are both not being subtle. I caught her eye for a second right as I was telling my mom that she was coming up...she then looks away...and as I am loudly saying, "Oh! My! God!" and my mom is laughing as loud as she can....HB gives me the most evil side-eye I have ever seen in my life! Then she proceeds to make her way behind all those people in the photos above. She even had to line up in the bookcases to get her book signed. While I was first. I think I look pretty decent despite the incredible humidity that day. She looked like a wet ragdoll. That, my friends, was sweet fucking revenge. :)

Amie-ology

I know it's been 3 weeks since my last post...I've been busy! My new schedule at work is surprisingly (actually not surprisingly) leaving me very little time for much else. Including school! I can't seem to get nearly as much done during the day, yet I still have very little to do on Fridays. Probably because nobody is really here on Fridays, so my questions remain unanswered until Monday...like before...but I digress.

In other news, we got a new puppy! She is a really good, really sweet 6 month old Lab/Terrier mix. In her first week home, she learned her name, how to walk on a leash and sit. I didn't think she would learn how to sit as she didn't seem to pay much attention in my initial teaching efforts. But, somehow, on Sunday, she decided that she knew the command! Here she is...meet Babette (Babs for short)!

The title of this post is based off of another survey/quiz that I was emailed. :) You know me...so, here it is:

***********FOOD-OLOGY***************
What is your salad dressing of choice? Balsamic Vinaigrette...I put it on everything!

What is your favorite sit-down restaurant? This is hard. Positano's? Update: Jonathan and I tried to go there this past weekend...it is closed now. I'm sad.
What food could you eat for 2 weeks straight and not get sick of it? Mexican.
What are your pizza toppings of choice? Mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, bell pepper, pineapple...light on cheese, heavy on sauce.

What do you like to put on your toast? Peanut butter

***********TECHNOLOGY***************
How many televisions are in your house? 3
What color cell phone do you have? Black with a pink skin

***************BIOLOGY******************
Are you right-handed or left-handed? Right, but I was born left-handed. Mom changed me at the urging of my left-handed aunt. Or so the story goes. :)
Have you ever had anything removed from your body? Teeth...does that count? Splinters. A couple of nails...but not intentionally. :) Oh yeah! A big chunk of hair when I was 5.
What is the last heavy item you lifted? I try not to do this unless I am working out. But Jonathan wouldn't call that heavy.
Have you ever been knocked unconscious? Never been knocked unconscious, but I have fainted quite a few times.

************BULLCRAPOLOGY**************
If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die? I don't know. Part of me says yes so I can go and be irresponsible, but then what if I end up not dying on that day? Then I just blew through all of my money for no reason!
If you could change your name, what would you change it to? I always wanted a less common name when I was a kid. But, I think it fits me. I used to have a different name every weekend when I was single at the bars. It ranged from Bridgette to Teagan. I stopped doing that, though, because it was hard to keep up with while drinking!
Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000? Yep. $1000 would more than pay for my new tires! And probably cover my second root canal as well!

************DUMBOLOGY******************
How many pairs of flip flops do you own? 4 or 5...I only wear 1 pair the most.

Last time you had a run-in with the cops? Last year when I got my speeding ticket.

Last person you talked to? Does Twitter count? Because then, it would have been @JCBartlett.
Last person you hugged? Jonathan. Wait, did I hug him bye today? Maybe Babs, then. Does a dog count?

**************FAVORITOLOGY****************
Season? Spring
Holiday? Halloween!
Day of the week? Sunday because I get to be stinky and lazy. I would say Saturday, except that I have school on most Saturdays this year. So, in 2010, it will be Saturday again.

Month? March...it's my b-day and that should be a national holiday, now shouldn't it?

***********CURRENTOLOGY*****************
Missing someone? My Gramma.
Mood? Tired. Is that a mood? Then, normal, I guess. Wait, is normal a mood?

What are you listening to? Old school Incubus.
Watching? Me type.
Worrying about? Paper, presentation, finances.

***************RANDOMOLOGY*****************
First place you went this morning? Work.
What's the last movie you saw? Transamerica.
Do you smile often? Yes, I get made fun of because people often catching me smiling to myself for no apparent reason.

***************** QUESTIONS **************
1)Do you always answer your phone? Divulging a secret here...no, I don't. Sometimes I just don't feel like it and I ignore it.
2) It's four in the morning and you get a text message, who is it? Probably Twitter. Which is why I now keep my phone on silent during the night. I keep meaning to turn off my mobile alerts but it makes me feel popular when it goes off so much.
3) If you could change your eye color what would it be? I really like my eye color. I get compliments all the time. I guess green would be my next choice if I had to.
5) Do you own a digital camera? Yes, 2 that I rarely use. But, that will change when Jonathan and I go to New York for 4th of July!
6) Have you ever had a pet fish? Several...the first were Tom and Jerry. My mom bought them for me when I was in pre-school to teach me about life and death and they lived forever in fish years. They finally died when I was at my grandparents for the weekend, I think. I know I was away and by then my mom didn't care about teaching me an important lesson anymore. It's a good thing I haven't experienced too much death in my life...I'm not good with it!

7) Favorite Christmas song? Greensleeves...is that a Christmas song? I hear it a lot at Christmas. I tend to really dislike Christmas songs because I swear they started in August this year!
8) What's on your wish list for your birthday? Video camera...but it will be too late by then. I want to take video in New York. So, Jonathan better get me a b-day present now.
9) Can you do pushups? Girly ones.
10) Can you do a chin up? No. I can do cheaty pull-ups.
11) Does the future make you more nervous or excited? Excited! I'm not one of those that wishes I was still in high school or college.

12) Do you have any saved texts? Not intentionally. I just keep them until my phone starts to slow down, then I delete them out.
13) Ever been in a car wreck? Several...my back is still screwed up from my first one 12 years ago.
14) Do you have an accent? I have a Texas accent that comes out when I am tired and/or drinking.
15) What is the last song to make you cry? Blindsided by Bon Iver. I love sad songs...not sure why...but I do.
16) Plans tonight? Figure out how to look at school budgets and then hopefully write 2 pages on it.
17) Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom? I would say yes, for me I have...I went through a rough time emotionally after college.

18) Name 3 things you bought yesterday? Nothing, nothing and nothing.
19) Have you ever been given roses? Yes, I wish I would get them more often! (Hint, hint)

21) Current hate right now? The class that I am in...among other things I probably shouldn't mention.
22) Met someone who changed your life? I would say so...doesn't everybody change the life of everyone they meet in some form or fashion?

23) How did you bring in the New Year? Went to Positano's and ate entirely too much...also drank a little too much.

24) What song represents you? I don't know. Maybe Favorite Things by Incubus.
25) Name three people who might complete this. Not applicable.

26) What were you doing 12 AM last night? Sleeping. I usually don't even stay up until midnight on the weekends. Saturday night I was exceptionally pitiful...out by 8:30.
27) What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? Snooze...

And that, folks, is Amie-ology. :)

Blogging about the #1 no no in blogland...

...work. Of course, I'm not going to talk about anyone specific, just ethics in general. After all, I haven't said where I work...have I? Here's the deal...as a benefit of working for this company, we have the option of working a flex schedule. It was awesome for me since I have such a long drive and I certainly could use the day off to cool it on my mileage and gas. Plus, it was one of the top factors when I was considering grad school. It gave me a day away from work where I could study. I am one of three people that are considered "administrative" personnel. I am not an "admin," actually, I am in marketing. But, they lumped me in with them because we are the three people in the company that don't actually have anything to do with what the company does. The other two admin personnel are truly "admin" functions. One is the receptionist and one is the accounts, invoicing, etc. person. These two people have been out sick a lot. Our receptionist just started this past July and she already took 6 weeks of short term disability plus another two weeks for a side-effect of her disability. Plus, she has been out sick quite a bit. The other admin person has a myriad of diseases, all of which are very severe and work against each other. She took 3 months of short term disability before our receptionist started, but in the same year. She is also out an average of at least 40% of the year. Around Thanksgiving of 2007, I had a severe throat infection which caused me to be out on the day that the other admin had off. She didn't cover for me and at about noon that day, we received an email stating that if the front desk is left empty again, our flex time would be taken away. After that, I worked my ass off to be sure I was here as much as possible. I covered every time the two admin women were out...I even worked when I was sick! The four or five times that I had to take a day or two off for being sick, I felt completely guilty and tried to work as much as I could from home.

At about 8am this morning, I found out that flex time had been taken away from the other two admins. They were not happy about this, but they understood since they were both out a lot and I can only cover so much. At about 8:45 this morning, I received the same email. Since my position has been lumped into the same category as theirs (which is completely unfair for other reasons), my flex time was taken away. Now, my company has categorically excluded an entire department from what they claim is a benefit. There was no reason to exlude me and the other two admins say that they think it's completely unfair to me as I have done nothing wrong. I still have over 3 weeks of paid time off that I have earned. Which proves that I am here all the time.

So, now I am looking into HR laws and seeing if I have a leg to stand on so I can go into my boss' office and fight my case for keeping my flex schedule. In fact, they said they started the four 10-hour days so that people who live farther away could have the option of driving less. Which is one of the main reasons I chose to do this schedule. When I was interviewing for this position, they told me that they were moving their office to a location that was about 5 miles away from my home. They ended up choosing a location that is 25 miles from my home. Having Fridays off helped save me quite a bit of money on gas and mileage on my LEASED vehicle. Working 5 days a week puts 13,000 miles a year on a vehicle I am only supposed to drive 15,000 miles a year.

I don't know what to do. I think this is very unethical for them to do and I don't know how to approach the subject. I'll keep you updated...

Updated: I did actually talk to my boss the next day. He explained their reasoning behind it all. I understand now why they did what they did, but it's still not fair. He actually said that the reason why they changed my schedule, too, is because I am the one that shows up all the time. So, instead of calling me in on my day off, it's better that I am just here all the time whether or not it's warranted? Thanks. On a funny side note, one of the admins who had her flex time taken away has now been out for almost 6 weeks. Her last full week was the week our schedules changed. Nice. But, this doesn't really prove their point too much as the receptionist has been here the entire time so there wouldn't have been a problem with me having Fridays off. Except the two days she was out for bad indegestion. But that was mid-week. Ugh.